APPLIED ART : COSTUME

Black Thierry Mugler suit 1980's

Black worsted wool two piece woman's suit, intricately tailored. Skirt is kneelength with curved panels at front and back, self stiffened fishtail back vent and a band of black satin 4 cm wide. Waistband 5 cm wide, slanted opening C/B with 2 press studs and hook, and zip. The press studs have curved black plastic faux buttons on the top side of fabric backing them.

Jacket is fitted, with strong half raglan shoulders, of complex cut with seams radiating from centre front and back waist. At front and back one seam extends from bodice to shoulder and down arms. The stiff peplum is folded back on each hip where black satin facing is seen. Turn back cuffs are also faced with black satin as is the curved turnover collar. Jacket fastens with eight press stud/buttons as on skirt. Label Jacket stamped silver, woven black on blue 'Thierry Mugler/Paris/Made in France' 8 x 3.1 cm, skirt same but 6.5 x 1.6 cm. Jacket size 40.

Thierry Mugler began designing under his own label in 1973. His heyday was in the late 1980s when his superbly cut and strongly shaped tailoring and extravagant eveningwear fulfilled the requirements of 1980s power dressing.

Label text: Thierry Mugler trained as a ballet dancer but also studied design. He worked in Paris with Azzedine Alaia in 1971 and developed his signature, sharply-tailored style over the next two decades. Black was the prevailing colour choice throughout the 1980s and this suit is perfectly cut to follow the lines of the body. Although his work was popular until 1990s, he eventually diversified into publishing books on photography.